The Coleman A. Young Municipal Center (CAYMC), a government office building and courthouse located at 2 Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, will undergo a series of exterior improvement projects beginning in mid-June. It serves as the City of Detroit’s government headquarters.
The site improvement projects will be phased around the entire property and include closure of the Larned entrance to CAYMC for waterproofing upgrades that extends to the public sidewalk. During the Larned Street closure, tenants and guests can enter CAYMC from the Jefferson and Woodward entrances. The employee entrances at Randolph and the skywalk entrances will also remain open. A new fence and gate system will also be installed around the public officials’ parking lot at the Randolph end of CAYMC.
The “horseshoe” driveway off Larned will become a pickup and drop-off area for the public and employees, allowing vehicles to avoid traffic on Larned. An expanded public bicycle plaza featuring bike loops and benches will be installed and benches and bike loops will be installed at all entrances. New concrete will replace all brick pavers on each side of CAYMC, as well the widening of the public walkways.
Originally called the City-County Building, CAYMC was renamed for the former Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young, shortly after his death in 1997. Mayor Young became the city’s first Black mayor in 1974, serving until 1994.
Construction on CAYMC began in 1951 and was completed in 1954, replacing the former City-County building on Randolph. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Harley, Ellington and Day. The facility consists of two towers — a 20-story court tower occupied by Wayne County’s Probate and Third Circuit Courts and a 14-story office tower occupied by the City of Detroit’s executive and legislative offices. The famed “Spirit of Detroit” statue stands in front of the Woodward entrance, designed by sculptor Marshall Fredericks in 1955 and dedicated to Detroit September 23, 1958. The bronze statue stands 25 feet tall and cost $58,000 to make.
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